Sudanese defense minister, Gen. Gamal al-Din Omar died Wednesday of a heart attack, AP reported. 

Accordin to the officials, the minister was on an official visit to South Sudan’s capital of Juba taking part in peace talks between his country’s transitional government and rebel groups. He was 60.

Omar was born in 1960 and was appointed defense minister after the pro-democracy movement that led the uprising against former autocratic President Omar al-Bashir.

Before becoming a minister, he headed the committee on security and defense of the interim government. He also served as head of military intelligence from 2017 to 2019.